


Great Escape

by faeriegirl143



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Shop owner Louis, doppleganger!harry, kind of weird but isnt?, mannequin Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 16:56:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faeriegirl143/pseuds/faeriegirl143
Summary: Louis is a lonely shop owner with a very active imagination and a favorite mannequin. Each night after the shop is locked up tight, Louis imagines different scenarios with the mannequin he calls Harry.





	Great Escape

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously thought this up as I was walking home from work. The song is Die A Happy Man by Thomas Rhett. It's weird, you can tell me. I want your HONEST opinions, people!

The end of the night couldn’t come fast enough. Louis hurried to click the lock shut after the last customer and pulled the shades down to indicate he was closed and deter any last minute shopper, there was always that one last minute shopper. Owning his own shop was a good gig, he could be perfectly polite and turn them away, while pointing at the store hours listed clearly on the door, while in his younger years working for a corporation, the higher ups would get upset if anyone turned away a potential customer, despite the clock signifying closing hours were just a hand tick away. After all, the customers’ money was more important than the employees and how dare they have lives!

Sliding against the door, blue eyes flicked to a particular mannequin he’d set up. His favorite, and no, it wasn’t weird to have a favorite. This one was pretty, clearly a male, but Louis had put a long wig of dark curls on it and imagined the eyes in the blank expression to be green. A lost love or just someone he’d seen before, Louis wouldn’t tell. Whomever it was, wasn’t important, they shared a moment every night after closing while the busyness of the city outside went by, the time inside stopped for Louis and his love. 

“For you, my love,”

Louis presented a flower as he bent down, eyes closing as the scenery inside the shop changed to a cozy looking living room with a fire aflame in the hearth, the crackling of the logs and the woodsy smell filling the room. When he looked up, the mannequin was the male he imagined - tall, dark, and handsome with dimples the size of quarters in his cheeks that showed as the male grinned bashfully. Nude arm reached out to take the flower, the other being taken by Louis as he pressed a kiss to the knuckle then turned the hand over to kiss at the pulse point inside the wrist.

“Harry, you look wonderful tonight,”

The mannequin - Harry - gazed down at his clothes, they always changed with each imagery, night after night and he never complained about it. Louis made him look pretty and loved. Tonights ensemble was a red dress, tight in the right places and paired with a pair of black flats, his already towering height didn’t need the extra lift that heels would give, plus, Louis wouldn’t be able to reach. 

“May I have this dance?” Harry held out his hand, batting those long eyelashes of his that made Louis envious, even if he’d been the one to think Harry up. 

“I’m supposed to be the one asking that, Haz.” Louis laughed as Harry yanked the smaller man to him and started humming. “No need for that. I got music ready.”

_Baby last night was hands down, one of the best nights that I've had no doubt. Between the bottle of wine and the look in your eyes and the Marvin Gaye, then we danced in the dark under September stars in the pourin' rain_

Forest green eyes widened. Harry loved every piece of music Louis picked out, even if he’d forget everything once the magic ended and he was left alone for the night. Doing a wide turn, he lifted Louis up by the waist, giggling as the shorter man flailed for a second then held on for dear life as Harry’s spins and shimmies got more pronounced as the song went on.

_Baby and that red dress brings me to my knees. Oh but that black dress makes it hard to breathe. You're a saint, you're a goddess, the cutest, the hottest, a masterpiece. It's too good to be true, nothing better than you in my wildest dreams and I know that I can't ever tell you enough that all I need in this life is your crazy love_.

Whispers filled the silent shop as the two continued to dance around, Harry asking questions and Louis trying his best to answer them, and not giggle at how simple the questions were, but remembering that Harry wasn’t real and wouldn’t know it. He hated the moment he had to leave his happy place, but looked forward to every evening when the clock struck seven and he’d rendevouz with Harry again. 

“Louis? What are you thinking?” Harry whispered to him, lips close to the shop owner’s ear. So close he could feel the warm breath of the mannequin, tingles running down his spine. 

Blinking Louis leaned into the man, giggling when Harry’s curls tickled his skin. “I..wish this was real, Harry. I wish you were real.”

Chewing on his lip, a very human thing for a mannequin to do, Louis noted, Harry went quiet as the song played on in the background. After their third rotation, Harry spoke up, “It’s as real as you want it to be, Louis. Don’t ruin the moment. Stay with me even if it’s just for a little while.”

_I don't need no vacation, no fancy destination, baby you're my great escape. We could stay at home, listen to the radio or dance around the fireplace_

 

As the song wound down, Louis’ stomach tightened. It was almost the end of another perfect evening and all they’d done was dance. But that was okay, as long as Louis had the shop and the mannequin, everything would be fine. RIght? 

“Louis? There’s someone knocking on the door?” Harry broke his train of thought. Louis tuned into the moment and yes, he could hear the faint tapping of someone’s knuckle on the shop door. “Are you going to get it?”

Pushing his fringe back, Louis puffed out a breath. He didn’t want to let go of Harry, risk the moment ending way too soon. Looking at the door then back at Harry, he wanted to ignore the customer, the sign told them it was empty, but then the phone started ringing. Obviously the person outside could hear the music.

“Shit.. Haz, stay here, I’ll be right back.” Louis promised as he released the man’s hands and scrambled for the door. Maybe if he hurried and got rid of the guy, he could go back to the moment? Grabbing the cordless phone, he went to the door and pulled it open to reveal.

“...wait, Harry?” Louis’ eyes bugged out, the phone dropping from his fingers as the dopple ganger of his mannequin stood before him with cell phone placed at one ear, hidden by the dark curls tucked under a baseball cap.


End file.
